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[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 240 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 240

Recognizing the economic, cultural, and political contributions of the 
Southeast Asian American community at this time of the 40th anniversary 
   of the Khmer Rouge control over Cambodia and the beginning of the 
 Cambodian Genocide, and the end of the Vietnam War and Secret War in 
                                 Laos.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 30, 2015

 Mr. Honda (for himself, Mrs. Napolitano, Ms. Judy Chu of California, 
Mr. Swalwell of California, Mr. Lowenthal, Mr. Peters, Mr. Ellison, Mr. 
Costa, Mr. Pocan, Ms. Matsui, Mr. Vargas, Ms. Hahn, Ms. Moore, and Mr. 
   Al Green of Texas) submitted the following resolution; which was 
              referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
Recognizing the economic, cultural, and political contributions of the 
Southeast Asian American community at this time of the 40th anniversary 
   of the Khmer Rouge control over Cambodia and the beginning of the 
 Cambodian Genocide, and the end of the Vietnam War and Secret War in 
                                 Laos.

Whereas April 17, 2015, marks the 40th Anniversary of the Khmer Rouge control 
        over Cambodia and the beginning of the Cambodian Genocide;
Whereas April 30, 2015, marks the 40th Anniversary of the end of the Vietnam 
        War;
Whereas December 2, 2015, marks the 40th Anniversary of the end of ``Secret 
        War'' when the communists declared the victory over the Kingdom of Laos 
        and established a communist regime;
Whereas these historical events led to the forced migration of over one million 
        political refugees from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam to the United States 
        after 1975;
Whereas over 600,000 Vietnamese refugees were resettled in the United States, 
        many of whom worked with the United States Government during the Vietnam 
        War as translators and civil servants, and were paroled into the United 
        States after the Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1975, 
        and over 30,000 survivors of communist ``re-education'' camps and 
        150,000 of their family members were resettled in the 1990s;
Whereas approximately 250,000 refugees from the Kingdom of Laos were resettled 
        in the United States, many of whom assisted the United States War effort 
        during the ``Secret War'' in Laos, including as civil servants and 
        35,000 Special Guerrilla Unit fighters in the United States Surrogate 
        Army;
Whereas at least 115,000 Cambodian refugees were resettled in the United States 
        after one of the worst genocides of the 20th century, during which about 
        20 percent of the Cambodian population perished;
Whereas the exodus of refugees from the region prompted the United States to 
        pass the 1980 Refugee Act and to establish the Office of Refugee 
        Resettlement, creating the country's first formal refugee resettlement 
        system;
Whereas the Office of Refugee Resettlement recognized the critical importance of 
        Southeast Asian American ``Mutual Assistance Associations'' (MAAs) by 
        creating a special grant program in 1980, laying the groundwork for a 
        strong network of community-based organizations;
Whereas over 2.5 million Southeast Asian Americans today trace their heritage to 
        Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam;
Whereas Southeast Asian Americans include a broad diversity of ethnic groups, 
        including Cham, Khmer, and Khmer Loeu from Cambodia; Hmong, Iu-Mien, 
        Khmu, Taidam, and Lao Theung from the Kingdom of Laos; and ethnic Khmer, 
        Montagnards, and Vietnamese from Vietnam;
Whereas Southeast Asian Americans today have blazed trails to own small 
        businesses, lead community-based organizations, serve in public office, 
        and nurture emerging leaders;
Whereas Southeast Asian Americans continue a rich cultural arts tradition of 
        music and dance, while pioneering hybrid art forms such as spoken word 
        poetry and hip hop;
Whereas Southeast Asian Americans continue to face significant challenges to 
        full economic and social empowerment, such as low rates of high school 
        completion, high rates of poverty, and disproportionate rates of arrest 
        and incarceration; and
Whereas Southeast Asian American communities remain resilient, rooted both in 
        Southeast Asian heritage and in American soil, and rising toward a 
        hopeful, equitable future: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the significance of the 40th anniversary of 
        the beginning of the Khmer Rouge rule and the Cambodian 
        Genocide, the end of the Vietnam War and the Secret War in 
        Laos, the humanitarian response of the United States to receive 
        over one million refugees from the region, and the beginning of 
        the Southeast Asian American community in the United States; 
        and
            (2) recognizes the ongoing contributions of the Southeast 
        Asian American community to the economic, cultural, and 
        political vitality of the United States.
                                 <all>
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